Party
by Jessica314
Summary: Epilogue to Hunter. It's a one-shot in its own right, but you do need to read Hunter first.


**A/N: This story began as a brief epilogue to ****_Hunter,_**** but it kept writing itself longer and fluffier, so it became its own story. I also decided to separate it because it shifts to Edward's point of view. If you don't feel like reading the fluffier parts, you can skip to the second line break without missing too much. Enjoy!**

**One year later (EPOV)**

I closed my book as our daughter scrambled up onto the couch with me. We had been enjoying a quiet evening together as a family, just the three of us in our cottage. Ever since our conflict with the Volturi earlier this year, I now found these moments even more precious than before. Immortal though we were, we had faced the possibility of separation and death in those horrible days. And the threat was not wholly gone – the Volturi had only returned to Italy, leaving us with the promise of a delicate peace. Was our future truly secure? Would another day like that come again, forcing us to violence against our own kind? I looked down and ran my fingers through Renesmee's auburn curls, so like my own. My little princess was still growing visibly every day, making these moments together more precious still. I then glanced up to see my wife walk in the living room. I reached toward her with my free hand, and she came to me.

"Esme wants us in the main house by nine," she told me as she sat down and laid her head on my shoulder. I buried my face in her hair, breathing in her delicious scent. Bella had only gone up to the main house for an hour to help prepare for the party, but having her back with us was still a relief. In the months following the conflict, Bella had felt safe enough to begin branching out, sometimes spending time away from me as she took Renesmee out exploring, or alone as she experimented with new hobbies. I encouraged her growth but always felt uneasy during the times we were apart.

"Can I come too?" piped up a tiny voice. Our daughter had begun branching out as well, speaking aloud more often. She reached up and, placing her hand on my cheek, flooded my mind with bright images of carnival rides, dancing elephants and a crowd of people under a huge rainbow of balloons.

I chuckled at her fantasy. "You can come. But I'm sorry, sweetheart, this party is just a little dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's. No elephants allowed." I tousled her hair and shared a smile with her mother.

Bella's eyebrows rose. "Elephants?"

"She's dreamed up a party that even _Alice_ couldn't pull together. Although I wouldn't put the balloons past her…" Renesmee giggled at this. Her hand was still on my cheek, and the images swirled, revealing a picture-perfect scene of family and friends smiling around Esme's dining room table. I laughed when I saw the same rainbow of balloons hanging above the gathering. I kissed her cheek. "You're so creative, sweetheart," I whispered in her ear. "I'll tell you what. We have some time before the party, so why don't we make a birthday party for your dolls?"

She pouted. "I don't want to. I want you to read me a story, Daddy." She poked the book I had left on the couch cushions. It was the latest edition of _Guide to Camping in Northern California._ Now that Bella's control was better than ever, I was planning our first little family trip, just the three of us. Of course, one of the book's goals was to detail where _not_ to camp, in order to avoid dangerous wildlife. I planned on simply taking the opposite of the book's advice.

"This book is a little boring. Wouldn't you like to read a fairy tale, or maybe the next chapter in _The Secret Garden_? "

She rolled her eyes. "_Daddy."_

I pulled her up onto my lap. "Okay, I know you're getting to be a big girl. _Camping in Northern California_ it is." Forgetting her "big girl" argument, she snuggled against me as the three of us spent the next hour reading and making plans for our trip.

* * *

By nine o'clock the sun was almost gone, and we walked through the lengthening shadows to the main house, Renesmee riding on my shoulders.

I was holding Bella's hand, and I watched her as we walked. The last rays of twilight left a gentle glow on her skin, and I marveled anew at her beauty. As a human, I had admired her appearance, and as my care toward her turned to love, I had come to believe she was the most beautiful woman on earth. Now, after the change, she was simply stunning – and I knew I was not alone in my appraisal. I lifted her hand and kissed it. She looked back at me, her eyes sparkling. What was she thinking about? I tapped her hand twice with my finger.

A few weeks ago, we had devised this signal so that I could privately ask Bella to share her thoughts with me. She was still practicing the art of relaxing her shield; she likened it to exercising a new muscle in that she sometimes was simply unsuccessful in doing it, no matter how hard she tried. And other times, she simply didn't _want_ to share her mind. My Bella was an intensely private person, and I tried not to be hurt by her reticence. I held my breath. Would she share this time?

I let the air out in asigh of relief as her thoughts suddenly appeared in my mind.

_I was just thinking how perfect everything is now. Even before the Volturi came, we were worried about Renesmee's growth. But now we know she will be all right, and everyone is getting along… and then there's you and me._

My mind was filled with her recent memories of our times together – intimate moments, but also other special times we had shared recently. A stroll beside our favorite creek, a visit to the library in Seattle, a spectacular hunting trip in Canada last week-

Bella's shield snapped up as she lost her concentration. It was still difficult for her to keep the shield down for more than a minute, and doing it while walking was even harder. Rather than be disappointed, I savored the glimpse I had just had, replaying everything in my mind as we walked in silence.

* * *

By this time we were approaching the house, and I sighed in annoyance at the smell drifting out an open window. "Couldn't we have had this outside? The smell would be less concentrated, and we wouldn't need to air out afterward." I also steeled my mind against the dissonant chorus of thoughts coming from the house.

Bella yanked on my hand and nodded up to our daughter, still perched on my shoulder. She swiped aside her shield just long enough for a quick scolding.

_I was just telling you how happy I was that everyone is getting along!_

"Sorry…" I muttered. Being a father was a challenge in many ways – I often forgot my manners when it came to speaking about the wolves. Our daughter was very mature in some ways; mentally, she was probably a pre-teen. Physically she was still an adorable five-year-old, and her emotional development was somewhere between the two. She understood that vampires and werewolves weren't designed to get along. However, everyone she loved, with the exception of Charlie, belonged to one of those two species. She was growing up with a very unique perspective on both.

We stepped through the front door, suddenly assaulted by a cacophony of sounds and smells. There was a crowd of vampires and werewolves, and even three humans: Charlie, Billy, and Sue had also come to celebrate Seth's birthday. Everyone was chattering in pairs or groups, and the air was heavy with the offensive odors of both the werewolves and the food weighing down the table in the dining room.

Concerned for Bella's senses, I drew her aside as soon as we had entered the house. "Are you all right, love? I know it's a lot at once." I lowered Renesmee to the ground. She was in her element, laughing and already running up to Charlie.

Bella's nostrils were flaring and her eyes were darting around the room. "Just give me a minute," she whispered. She closed her eyes and inhaled slowly. I desperately wanted to hear her thoughts as she struggled, but I knew that was asking too much; she was already overwhelmed. Perhaps I should take her home…

Her eyes opened. "Okay, it's fine now. I just needed a moment to take it all in." She squeezed my hand and entered the room, smiling as she greeted her father and friends.

I watched her in admiration. We had all been shocked at her self-control as a newborn, and even now that she was nearly a year old, her reaction to the crowded room tonight was still impressive. The only way she was different from any of us older vampires was that she still needed to hunt more often. In preparation for the party tonight, I had taken her out for a brief hunt last night.

I was jolted out of my thoughts as someone shoved my arm. Annoyed, I turned and was suddenly face to face with Jacob Black, who was holding Renesmee in one arm. I instinctively took a step back, growling under my breath. Idiotic boy.

_Hey, I thought you bloodsuckers were supposed to smell a human coming from a mile away. Looks like you're losing your touch, Dad!_

I bared my teeth, moving closer to whisper in his ear. "First of all, I wouldn't classify you as human. Second, don't you _ever_ call me that again, mutt. If you weren't using my daughter as a human shield right now…"

He smirked and hugged Renesmee closer. I saw in his thoughts that he had indeed chosen to come insult me while he held her, knowing I couldn't retaliate. Immature, idiotic…

"Seriously, Edward. How's Bella doing? It's pretty crowded in here." We both looked over at my wife, who was chatting with Esme about the food, looking carefree and completely comfortable. I shrugged.

"It was tough for a moment, but you know Bella. She adapts quickly." I moved away and looked through the room. Unable to find my target, I closed my eyes, focused inwardly and sifted through the thoughts that were bombarding me.

_It's just disgusting in here. Why couldn't we do this outside?_

_Maybe I should have made another pot roast. I'm going to get another crockpot next time I go out._

_This is so awesome! I can't believe they did all this for me! These guys may smell like crap, but they sure know how to treat a guy right._

There he was. I made my way over to him and pulled the small gift out of my pocket. "Happy Birthday, Seth," I said as I handed it to him. As werewolves go, Seth was definitely the most… tolerable. Actually, our shared experiences, including our battle with Victoria and Riley, had turned us into friends. A miracle, if ever there was one.

"Hey, thanks, man! It's good to be back here again." He tore the paper off the box and opened it, finding the silver cell phone we had bought him. "Aw, cool! It's just like the one you guys use!"

_This is awesome. I just wish I had some extra money to put some minutes on this thing._

"It comes with a plan, of course, with unlimited minutes. That way we can all be in touch, you know, in case of…"

_I understand. Totally cool, Edward. I really appreciate it._ He was relieved I had purchased the plan as well as the phone. His family couldn't afford such a luxury; the Quiluetes weren't exactly flowing with wealth. To avoid offense, we had decided to begin using birthdays as opportunities to give things such as this to members of the pack.

Seth had brushed past me and was thanking Bella for the gift. She was giving him a hug and I grimaced at the thought of his scent lingering on her hair.

"All right everyone, dinnertime!" Esme had to yell above all the conversations. Renesmee, the humans and the werewolves made their way to the table and sat down, while us "bloodsuckers" crowded around, behind those seated. It was nice to enjoy a social occasion without having to pretend to eat anything.

Charlie looked around and then frowned up at Bella where she was standing. "Aren't you guys gonna…" he gestured to the food.

Bella smiled, looking up at me. "It's okay, Dad… we'll go catch something to eat later." I found myself joining in everyone's laughter, admiring my wife's clever double entendre. Charlie just held his hands up, muttering, "Right… need to know." By this time, everyone had started eating and the conversations began buzzing again.

I watched my father-in-law fondly as he ate. Charlie had Bella's ability to adapt to just about anything, and this last year had really stretched that talent. Although he never asked any questions, it was clear from his thoughts that he had figured out quite a bit about the people gathered here tonight. I didn't think he had ever come out and said the word "vampire" to anyone, but he clearly knew we belonged somewhere in the supernatural world. I knew for a fact he was now using the word "wolves" without giving it a second thought. My heart swelled with gratitude for his acceptance of the changes in Bella's life, and his slightly more grudging acceptance of my role in it all. Although I would never admit it to Jacob, letting Charlie in on everything was the best thing he had ever done.

My gaze shifted and I watched Jacob as he sat next to my daughter, making silly faces at her in between bites. She was laughing so hard she had spilled her milk – a rare occurrence, given her usual manners and reflexes. I moved to help her, but Jacob was already wiping up the spill.

_Sorry Edward – my fault, not hers, _he thought at me, tossing a quick glance in my direction. I nodded back. Watching the two laugh and talk together, I felt a familiar sick feeling growing in my stomach. Could it really be that someday she would choose him? Nobody had evidence that imprinting worked both ways – especially in this unusual situation – but on every occasion so far, the desire had always become mutual. My stomach tightened further as I wondered, not for the first time, how many years I had until that day. Five years? Six? Too soon.

I was brought out of my reverie by a light touch on my hand. My eyes snapped up and met Bella's worried expression. "You're brooding again… Jacob and Renesmee?" she nodded over to the scene I had been… well, brooding over. I nodded, leaning into her as she wrapped an arm around me. She gave me an understanding squeeze. "I know. But even you have to admit, Jake's a good guy. Plus he's completely devoted to her already… he doesn't even have a choice, you know. He can never hurt her."

I clenched my teeth, trying to hide my reaction from Bella. I couldn't agree with her statement. I knew all too well that decisions made for someone else's good weren't always the right ones. I could tell Bella had seen my response, though. "Well, not on purpose," she added lightly. "Anyway, let's just enjoy what we have today, agreed?" she stood on her tiptoes and kissed me on the chin. I nodded and kissed her back. Bella had a way of simplifying the complications that my mind tended to create. She was my perfect complement. I resolved to stop thinking and just enjoy the happy occasion.

* * *

The party turned out to be a huge success. After dinner, Sam brought out his guitar and began playing a variety of country, rock, and folk music. Within a few minutes, Jacob had produced a small drum and I was completely surprised by his ability. After a few words from Esme and Bella, I was persuaded to join them on the piano, and before long Alice had cleared the furniture out, improvising a dance floor. At first she danced alone. I marveled at her ability to enjoy herself, despite the headache she always got when so many werewolves were in attendance. Soon Renesmee had joined her, and she, in turn, had somehow gotten Emmett and _Charlie _to join her as well. Sam, Jacob and I conferred for a moment and switched to showtunes and children's songs. For the next hour my princess was the star of her own dance party, and I loved every minute of it. I had to admit, it also felt exhilarating to be playing along with Sam and Jacob. I was the only musical member of our family besides Rosalie, and since we played the same instrument, I had never actually been part of an ensemble before. I made a mental note to share my revelation with Bella when we got home.

It was almost midnight by the time we wrapped up the party. Renesmee had finally fallen asleep, and lay in Rosalie's arms on the couch while the rest of us cleaned up. The guests had all left, with the exception of Jacob, who had stayed behind for the cleanup. He and I were removing the leaves from the dining room table when he said casually, "So that was pretty cool earlier, with the music, wasn't it?"

I quietly pushed my end of the table into place, trying not to wake my daughter. "It was," I agreed. "We should do that again soon. This whole party was a great idea, Jacob," I admitted. Having the party here had been his idea – he had submitted the whole plan to Carlisle last week, "one alpha to another", as he had put it. It was important to all of us to maintain our friendly alliance with the wolves, and Jacob had more reason than anyone to want this. "In fact," I continued airily, "it was a complete success. The only downside was having to watch a bunch of canines guzzle down their dinner." Alice's tinkling laugh carried into the room, and she followed the sound in, carrying the buffet back to its place.

Jacob snorted, but he wasn't angry – he knew I was just returning his insult from earlier. "Yeah, sure, Edward. I'm sure I'd love to watch you sit down to a delicate meal of… what is it you guys like? Squirrel blood?" He slammed his end of the table, chuckling at his own joke. Squirrel blood indeed…

"For your information, Jacob, my favorite prey happens to be mountain lion. And in all honesty, my table manners in _that_ situation are in a whole different class from yours. Am I right, Bella?"

"It's true. You're a mess, Jacob," she called from the kitchen. "And you were actually sitting at a _table_!"

"Oh, come on Bells. You had to be grossed out the first time Edward took you hunting after your change. Tell him."

I turned my face to Bella, waiting for her response. But she and Alice had frozen and were staring at each other. Alice's mind was racing. She couldn't stop from letting me see the onslaught of images- Bella pleading with her, Alice's hands flipping through a chemistry textbook by lamplight, Bella covered in some sort of slime, Bella up in a tree looking down at a clearing, the same one where I had-

"ALICE!" I roared. Renesmee startled awake and started crying. I whipped my head around to look at Bella, who returned my gaze nervously. When I spoke, I couldn't control the fury in my voice. "Bella, take Renesmee home, now. My _sister_ and I need to have a talk."

"Whoa," said Jacob with his hands up in front of him. "Anybody mind telling me what's going on?"

I spoke angrily through my clenched teeth. "Apparently, that wasn't the first time Bella had seen me hunt."

Jacob's eyes grew larger as he glanced back and forth between my wife and I. "You took her hunting? While she was _human_?"

"I did nothing of the sort, Jacob, because I'm not an idiot!" I snapped. I turned back to Bella, who was picking up our daughter, and struggled to lower my voice. "Bella I… I'm sorry I spoke to you that way. Now please take our daughter, and I'll join you soon. And we _will_ discuss this when I get home." My words still came out harsher than I had intended. Bella just nodded and slipped out the door, Renesmee having fallen asleep again on her shoulder.

I looked back at Alice as soon as the door had closed. "Now, Alice," I growled, "Would you mind explaining to me why you would do such an idiotic, reckless thing with her? _Why_?" I ripped away the lamp she was holding and threw it aside, barely hearing the crash as it hit the wall. Alice flinched, but then stood up as tall as she could, her face a mask of determination and her thoughts a whirlwind.

_How am I supposed to explain it? When is Jasper getting home? I can't see, I can't see! Get out of here, Jacob! Where's Jasper when I need him? Can't see!_

Jacob was backing away from us. "Ooooookay, it looks like you two have a little sibling thing to work out. I'm outta here." He turned and shot out, slamming the door behind him.

My eyes were still holding Alice's. "Jasper will be back in less than two minutes," I said. Jasper alone had not attended the celebration – he had been a little uneasy about all the smells. I could just hear the edges of his thoughts as he came into my range. From the quickly growing volume, I could tell he was running. "Now, you are going to tell me exactly what you did, and when."

Alice took a deep breath and spilled out the whole story – apparently she and Bella had made some sort of ridiculous arrangement where in return for a certain shopping trip, Alice had staged a little undercover operation – Bella had been in the clearing the whole time, and I had never known it. I waited until her story was done, and by the end, I was struggling not to show how amused I was.

I worked to hold down the smile that was trying to form on my lips, as I asked, "But _why_, Alice? Why would she want to see me hunt in the first place?"

Alice answered me by replaying her and Bella's conversation in her thoughts, though at triple speed. When she was done, she finally spoke. "Edward, don't be angry at Bella. I thought it was really sweet that she wanted to."

I couldn't understand this. Bella's magnetism to danger had always intrigued me, but this took the cake.

"Anyway," Alice continued in a sulky voice, "I never got _my_ side of the bargain. I did end up ordering the dress from Paris, though. But if we had gotten to actually _go_ there, just imagine what I could have-"

The door flew open and Jasper was standing between us, pushing Alice behind him protectively. "Jacob found me in the woods. Is there a problem, Edward?" he growled.

I shook my head, backing up a step to show my lack of aggression. "It's fine, Jasper. Alice will tell you all about it." I smirked at Alice, who was shaking her head at me in mock betrayal. I headed out the open door- I had a wife to apologize to.

* * *

The cottage was quiet when I arrived. I heard Renesmee's heartbeat, slower than usual – she was in a deep sleep. I carefully opened the door, to find Jacob sprawled on the couch, reading my _Camping in Northern California_ book. Bella was just coming out of our daughter's room, closing the door behind her. She smiled when she saw me, but her smile faded quickly.

"What's _he_ doing here?" I muttered, nodding toward the couch.

"I asked him to stay, so we could go talk outside," she said quietly, glancing meaningfully toward Renesmee's door. I understood – she was afraid I would lose my temper again and frighten our daughter. I had come home with every intention of apologizing, and I had already antagonized everyone in the room. Perfect.

"Jacob, I'm sorry. I'm a little on edge at the moment," I sighed. He nodded, understanding all too well. As a werewolf, or rather as a shape-shifter, he was quite familiar with battling his own rage.

Bella walked past me out the door, and I followed her into the woods. After we were out of Jacob's hearing range, we climbed up in a tree and sat down on the lowest branch together, both silent for a moment.

"I was going to tell you-" Bella began, but I held up my hand to interrupt her.

"Bella, there is no excuse for the way I spoke to you earlier. I'm sorry I let it happen- you didn't deserve it." I watched her closely, wishing once again that I could enter her mind. I didn't need my ability to interpret the gentle love in her eyes, however. I knew I was forgiven. "I just want to understand," I continued. "Why on earth did you want to _see_ that? Alice told me everything you said, but I still can't imagine why you would risk your life to see something so… disgusting." I grimaced, remembering my battle with the mountain lion that day. It had been one of my favorite hunting trips, but now, imagining the scene through Bella's human eyes, I felt ashamed that she had seen me lose myself so completely in the hunt.

She just sighed and shook her head. "You still don't understand how much I love you, Edward – how much I already loved you _then_. I wish I could-" Suddenly, she smiled and closed her eyes, wrinkling her brow in concentration. I realized what she was about to do and grinned in anticipation.

All at once my mind was flooded with images of the clearing in Montana, from a high vantage point… Bella had been in the oak tree, on the western edge of the clearing. I watched the hunt unfold from her point of view. The images were a bit fuzzy, and broken in places; she was reaching back to her human memories. Along with the images, I heard Bella's thoughts as she had watched- her fascination with my fighting prowess, her awe at seeing my full strength. I smiled at this – if I had been using my full strength, there wouldn't have been a fight at all. Still, I remembered enjoying the challenge that day. As Bella's memory drew toward its conclusion, I saw myself lying on the grass, humming the tune that had later become one of her favorite songs. Bella's thoughts in this scene were thoughts of security, of love for me and happiness at seeing me so at peace. The memories faded and Bella's mind dropped out of sight as she opened her eyes.

I studied her for a moment. But why _then_, Bella? Why risk it while you were still human? You knew we would hunt together eventually."

By the way she dropped her eyes and smiled, I knew she would be blushing if she could. "I wanted to see it with my human eyes. I knew it would be more… more magical that way. And it was. You were."

She looked up at me tenderly, and whispered, "Now do you understand?"

I did. And I truly couldn't be angry with her- after all, I was the one who had stalked her night after night, without her knowledge in the early days. It was only fair that Bella would turn the tables on me, after all. I felt a surge of pride at her boldness, and not a little awe at Alice's ingenuity. The lotion would be invaluable if we ever had to enter another conflict with the Volturi. The possibilities-

Bella interrupted my thoughts. "You're not angry?"

"Of course not, love, and especially not with you. I suppose I'm just lucky that you still wanted to-"

"Edward, I _love_ hunting with you. I loved seeing it for the first time, and I love every time we go out to … eat together," she said with a smirk.

"Well, in _that_ case, how about joining me for a midnight snack? I hear the local establishment serves up a fine elk," I laughed.

She took my hand, and we hit the ground running.


End file.
